SCCA Continental Championship

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The SCCA Continental Championship was an annual, professional, open-wheel motor racing series organized by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), under various names, from 1967 to 1976.

The inaugural series was staged in 1967 as the SCCA Grand Prix Championship. [1] It was open to the SCCA's existing Formula A, Formula B and Formula C cars, which were restricted to maximum engine capacities of 3 liters, 1.6 liters and 1.1 liters respectively. [2] For 1968, the SCCA amended their Formula A regulations to allow the use of production-based V8 engines, restricted to a 5-liter maximum engine capacity, in addition to the existing 3 liter engines. [2]

For 1969 the series was renamed to the SCCA Continental Championship, [1] with the Formula A cars now contesting a separate feature race at each championship event and the Formula B & C cars competing in their own race for separate points. [3] The championship received substantial sponsorship from L&M Cigarettes for 1970. [4] Increased support from L&M saw the championship renamed to become the SCCA L&M Continental 5000 Championship for 1971, [5] the 5000 component of the name chosen to give the 5 liter formula greater international recognition. [6] As of 1972, the Formula A regulations still permitted both 5000cc restricted and 3000cc unrestricted engines. [7] Sponsorship by the L&M cigarette brand was not carried forward from the 1973 championship. [8]

An agreement was reached between the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC) to jointly sanction the championship from 1974. [8] The championship was renamed to the SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship and was now open to both SCCA Formula 5000 cars and USAC Championship Division cars. [9] The latter could be powered by supercharged engines of up to 2650cc, non- supercharged overhead camshaft engines of up to 4,200cc or production, non- supercharged, non-overhead camshaft engines of up to 5,250cc. [9]

During 1976 USAC announced their intention to withdraw from the co-sanctioning arrangement at the end of the year. [10] The SCCA proposed to stage a ten race championship in 1977 but subsequently decided to replace the Formula 5000 Championship with a revived Can Am Series. [11] Regulations permitted the existing Formula 5000 cars, with fully enveloping bodywork, to compete in the new series. [11]

Results

YearChampionship nameWinning driverCar
1967 SCCA Grand Prix Championship Flag of the United States.svg Gus Hutchison Lotus 41 Ford
1968 SCCA Grand Prix Championship Flag of the United States.svg Lou Sell Eagle Mk 5 Chevrolet
1969 SCCA Continental Championship Flag of the United States.svg Tony Adamowicz Eagle Mk 5 Chevrolet
1970 SCCA Continental Championship Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg John Cannon McLaren M10B Chevrolet
1971 SCCA L&M Continental 5000 Championship Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Hobbs McLaren M10B Chevrolet
1972 SCCA L&M Continental 5000 Championship Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham McRae Leda GM1 Chevrolet & McRae GM1 Chevrolet
1973 SCCA L&M Championship [12] Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Jody Scheckter Trojan T101 Chevrolet & Lola T330 Chevrolet
1974 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Redman Lola T332 Chevrolet
1975 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Redman Lola T332 Chevrolet & Lola T400 Chevrolet
1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Redman Lola T332C Chevrolet

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The 1967 SCCA Grand Prix Championship season was the inaugural season of the Sports Car Club of America's championship series for open-wheel, single-seat formula cars, later to be known as the SCCA Continental Championship. The 1967 championship was open to SCCA Formula A, Formula B and Formula C cars, which were limited to a maximum engine displacement of 3.0 liters, 1.6 liters and 1.1 liters respectively.

The 1968 SCCA Grand Prix Championship was the second annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's open wheel automobile racing series later to become known as the SCCA Continental Championship. The championship was open to SCCA Formula A, Formula B and Formula C cars, with Formula A expanded to include vehicles powered by 5 liter production-based engines, with the Formula A category later being renamed to Formula 5000.

The 1969 SCCA Continental Championship was the third annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel racing series. It was the first to carry the SCCA Continental Championship name as the previous two series had both been staged as the Grand Prix Championship.

The 1970 SCCA Continental Championship was the fourth annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel racing series. The championship was open to Formula A cars, with both 305 cubic inch "stock block" V8 engines and 183 cubic inch "free design" engines being permitted in that category. For the first time in the history of the series, drivers competed for the L&M Championship Trophy and a share of a $40,000 prize fund. The championship was won by John Cannon driving a McLaren M10B Chevrolet.

The 1971 SCCA L&M Continental 5000 Championship was the fifth annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel racing series. Liggett & Myers increased its support of the championship for 1971 through its L&M cigarette brand and now had series naming rights.

The 1972 SCCA L&M Continental 5000 Championship was the Sports Car Club of America's sixth annual professional open-wheel auto racing series. It was open to Formula 5000 cars, these being Formula SCCA Class A open-wheel, single-seat cars with 5000cc restricted design engines or 3000cc unrestricted design engines. The championship was won by New Zealand driver Graham McRae.

The 1973 SCCA L&M Championship was the seventh annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel racing series. The championship, which was open to Formula 5000 cars, was won by South African driver Jody Scheckter.

The 1974 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was the eighth running of the Sports Car Club of America's premier open wheel racing series. It was the first to be sanctioned jointly by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC), and the first to be held under the "SCCA /USAC Formula 5000 Championship" name. Sponsorship by the L&M cigarette brand was not carried forward from the 1973 championship.

The 1975 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was the ninth running of the Sports Car Club of America's professional open wheel automobile racing series and the second to be sanctioned jointly by the Sports Car Club of America and the United States Automobile Club. The championship was open to cars complying with the SCCA's 5 liter American stock block engine specifications and to cars complying with the USAC's 161 cid turbocharged, 255 cid DOHC or 320 cid stock block engine regulations.

The 1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship was the tenth running of the Sports Car Club of America's premier open wheel racing series and the third to be co-sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the United States Auto Club (USAC).

References

  1. 1 2 1967-69 SCCA Grand Prix Championship Review, www.myf5000.com Retrieved on 17 June 2014
  2. 1 2 Wolfgang Kopfler, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America – Race by Race, Second Edition, 2003, page 7
  3. ↑ Wolfgang Kopfler, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America – Race by Race, Second Edition, 2003, page 20
  4. ↑ Wolfgang Kopfler, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America – Race by Race, Second Edition, 2003, page 34
  5. ↑ Keith Waltz, Tobacco Money Makes Its Move Into Auto Racing, www.nationalspeedsportnews.com Retrieved on 17 June 2014
  6. ↑ Wolfgang Kopfler, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America – Race by Race, Second Edition, 2003, page 49
  7. ↑ Watkins Glen L&M Grand Prix Facts Sheet, mclaren-m18-06.com Archived 21 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 19 June 2014
  8. 1 2 Wolfgang Kopfler, 1974 Formula 5000 Championship, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, pages 80 & 81
  9. 1 2 1974 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship - Supplementary Regulations, www.myf5000.com Retrieved on 17 June 2014
  10. ↑ Roger Jaynes, Disappointed USAC drops Formula 5000 sanction, Milwaukee Journal, 7 October 1976, page 41
  11. 1 2 Wolfgang Kopfler, The end of Formula 5000, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America - Race by Race, 2003, page 110
  12. ↑ 1973 SCCA L&M Championship Review (Part 1), www.myf5000.com Retrieved on 17 June 2014

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